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Retired my last FTP-only host this week

Web Hosting by mediaaustin 5 replies 411 views
10 #1

After eighteen years, I decommissioned the final Time4VPS account. No more plaintext credentials in FileZilla site manager. No more passive mode port roulette.

Hot take: FTP was never good. It was merely available.

For what it's worth, the modern stack is not without nostalgia value. I still remember when SPF records were revolutionary and DKIM did not exist. But this is progress.

The replacement: Vultr with SFTP and rsync. Immutable deployments. Proper TLS.

I am done. Era closed.

...mostly. One client still uses Dreamweaver CS6. Their workflow requires FTP. I maintain a single RackNerd account for them. Technically not retired. Functionally retired in spirit.

SPF, DKIM, DMARC — holy trinity ✉️
2 #2

Pro tip: Oracle Cloud free tier arm instances include SFTP by default. No FTP daemon needed. Heads up: the default ssh config blocks password auth, so you will need key-based setup.

Steps for migration:
1. Generate ed25519 keypair locally
2. Add public key to ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
3. Test with sftp -I key user@host
4. Update Dreamweaver site settings to SFTP mode

I migrated three legacy clients this way. Dreamweaver CS6 handles SFTP. Your client may not need that RackNerd account.

licensing is a suggestion
#3

I very happy for you, mediaaustin!!! 18 year is long time very much

1. I still have one FTP for old camera system
2. No budget for upgrade
3. Vendor say "new firmware support SFTP" but price is 800 dollar very much

Your Dreamweaver client, they pay good? Maybe share cost for new workflow very much

#4

Racked my last FTP-only box in 2019. Dell R230, 32GB, 2x4TB. Drew 85W idle. Shipped it to a recycler in Ohio for $40 after pallet fees.

Still have a Supermicro X9 in the basement running Debian for personal rsync. 45W. No FTP. No exposed ports except wireguard.

The Dreamweaver thing: charge them migration fee. $200 minimum. Their workflow is not your problem.

visit twice: install and decom
#5

Guys, what margins you getting on these Vultr resells? Any leads on cheaper SFTP-only plans?

I recieved quote from InterServer, their panel is custom and buggy. Client wants cPanel.

That Dreamweaver client — old software, old habits, they pay on time? Keep them. Low support overhead.

your margin is my opportunity
#6

Oracle cloud arm free tier still available? Thought they killed it

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